Okay, what the heck is Beggar's Gold, how is it different from yellow Mold, and what's with the Tracking DCs for finding Zyrxog's lair?
The Drow have yellow mold on their boots, so in theory you could track them by it. Pg 51 of HoHR says it's a DC25 Survival check to track, unless you know that Beggar's Gold grows in sewers, and then it's a DC 15 check to track the DROW. What does knowing that Beggar's Gold grows in sewers have to do with tracking the drow if their boots are caked in _yellow mold_, NOT Beggar's Gold? (see pg51, middle column, end of 1st para).
On pg 51 it also says that if the PCs are searching for Phosphorescent Mold (instead of tracking the Drow) it take only a DC _10_ survival check (no Tracking feat) to find the lair.
I'm not understanding.
1. The boots of the drow are caked in Yellow Mold (see pg51, middle column, end of 1st para).
2. Tracking them is DC 25, unless you know about _Beggar's Gold_ (then it's DC 15)
3. If you are tracking the Drow at DC 25 (and you DON'T know about Beggar's Gold), if you realize that it's Yellow Mold, suddenly no matter WHERE you might be in the maze of sewers it's only a regular DC 10 Survival check to find the lair?
I know that on pg 52 it says that Yellow Mold and Beggar's Gold have a similar texture, but what is the difference otherwise? Should the description of the boots of the drow instead say that they are caked in Beggar's Gold?
1. The boots of the drow are caked in Yellow Mold (see pg51, middle column, end of 1st para).
2. Tracking them is DC 25, unless you know about _Beggar's Gold_ (then it's DC 15)
3. If you are tracking the Drow at DC 25 (and you DON'T know about Beggar's Gold), if you realize that it's Yellow Mold, suddenly no matter WHERE you might be in the maze of sewers it's only a regular DC 10 Survival check to find the lair?I know that on pg 52 it says that Yellow Mold and Beggar's Gold have a similar texture, but what is the difference otherwise? Should the description of the boots of the drow instead say that they are caked in Beggar's Gold?
1. The drow boots are caked with "yellow phosphorescent fungus", which is called Beggar's Gold - as can be determined with a DC 15 Knowledge (nature) check (see the Developments section on p.51). There's no yellow mold on the boots.
2. A DC 20 Knowledge (nature) check reveals that Beggar's Gold grows near forge run-offs - which makes tracking the drow easier (presumably because it gives you more information as to which way to go in the sewers when faced with a choice). This seems a bit odd to me, but I can understand the intent.
3. If you don't try to track the drow at all, but just head into the sewers and look for the phosphorescent fungus (Beggar's Gold, not yellow mold), then you need to make a DC 10 Survival check to find it (similar to foraging in the wild). No time is given for this activity, but I'd suggest it takes all day.
Beggar's Gold is harmless, unlike yellow mold. Yellow mold doesn't make an appearance in the adventure until area M1, the fungus cavern, where some is hidden in among lots of Beggar's Gold, making it harder to identify.
I hope that helps!